


The Fall

by ShewasXena



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Canon Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 07:50:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11619186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShewasXena/pseuds/ShewasXena
Summary: Data must fight his own desire to be human and his morality in order to stop his brother Lore from doing the unthinkable. (This is a re-write of the episodes 'The Descent Parts I & II')





	1. Chapter 1

He’d gone on an impulse. The thrill of anger rushing in his veins and desire in his theoretical heart had driven Data to do the unthinkable. As he sped off in a stolen shuttle craft he only had one singular thought, that he must feel again at any cost. He ignored the hails of the Enterprise and urged the shuttle craft onward.   
“The One will be pleased to see you again,” Crosis said sitting down in the seat beside Data.   
“I do not believe I have ever met this ‘One’ you are referring to,” Data replied. His mind was locked in a waltz with comprehending what he had just done and his intense need to experience emotion.   
“The One says you have,” Crosis said, “I am sure you will remember once you see The One.”  
Data frowned, “And just where are we going?”   
Crosis pointed ahead of the shuttlecraft. “Through the transwarp conduit, there.”  
Data guided the craft straight into the conduit. There was no going back now, he realized.  
The craft twisted and turned at warp speed, the space around it swirled with colors that couldn’t be registered, even with Data’s eyes. Though he dared to venture a guess that he saw purple.   
The craft abruptly fell out of warp directly in front of a planet. What planet that was exactly, Data did not know. He glanced down at the panel in front of him and took a simple reading. “No life signs,” he said, “there is nothing at all.”   
“No organic life maybe,” Crosis said. “Check the electromagnetic readings.”  
Data did as instructed. “There is significant electromagnetic interference on the planet surface. In fact it is unusually high.”   
Crosis’s face warped into a knowing smile. “It is his power.”   
“I assume you are referring to this entity you call ‘The One’?”   
“You are correct,” Crosis replied through a dreamy haze.“His power protects us.”   
Puzzled, Data gazed down at the planet, it was swathed in a fire colored clouds, obscuring the surface. “And ‘The One’ is down there?”   
“Yes.”  
“I suppose it would be best not to keep him waiting then.” Data said. He went to work maneuvering the shuttlecraft to enter the planet's orbit.


	2. Chapter 2

Data had seen a lot of things in his time at Starfleet, most of them improbable. But what stood before him was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. The term ‘fortress’ would have been an adequate description but Data thought that it did not accurately capture the structure. Of course, to use the word ‘tree’ would have been correct in only the visual sense but that was what Data found himself gravitating towards. A massive mechanical tree.  
There had been a building there previously, what purpose it had served, Data was unsure of. But the borg technology had planted it’s roots at the base of the building, pulsing emerald green energy through thick obsidian black wires and circuits. The borg technology, like a terrible disease, had taken over what had previously occupied the space. It jutted out and up into the sky like so many terrible branches.   
Data could not help but stand and stare at it all.   
“We cannot stand here and all day,” Crosis said, urging Data forward. “The One awaits.”   
Data was escorted inside. The interior was dark, the walls were carpeted in circuits, wiring and other nondescript items, the walkway was lit by green light.   
Crosis led Data through a labyrinth of corridors and Borg regeneration stations until they emerged into a massive chamber.   
Crosis stopped, signalling Data to stop too. “We have arrived.”   
Data took stock of the rest of the room. This was the hub of the fortress, the mainframe. Massive cables ran up along the ceiling meeting a central core on a tall platform at the back of the room . A host of borg lined the walls, regarding the android with icy detachment. The whole scene was lit in a sickening green light.  
Crosis gasped suddenly. “He approaches.” He pointed up to the platform   
It seemed to be moving, growing outward towards Data and Crosis. The central core itself turned to face them. Data saw a torso hanging loosely by the neck from the core itself, it’s arms outstretched, held up by wiring. A multitude of mechanical tendrils moved into place and went to work assembling the rest of the body.   
It occurred to Data that the body was familiar to him. He’d seen it many times in the mirror and even worse, discovered it in an abandoned lab so many years ago. If he could have felt dread he would have been overcome with the feeling.   
A head descended from the central core and clicked into place on the neck. The face Data saw was all too familiar and confirmed his worst fears.   
“Lore,” Data whispered.   
Lore sprung to life. Upon seeing Data, a vile grin curled onto his face. “Brother! You’re here. I was beginning to wonder if you’d gotten lost.”   
“Lore, what are you doing here?” Data said, dumbfounded.  
Lore chuckled. “Fate is a funny thing brother. It’s because of your friends on the Enterprise that we find ourselves here.” Lore looked down at his exposed body. “Oh but forgive me, I’m not decent yet.”   
As if by his command, the central core slithered, snake like, forward and deposited Lore on the main platform. Lore strode forward, unafraid of falling, the walkway before him built itself as he walked. Wires remained connected to his head and arms and allowed him to gracefully float down from the tall dais to the floor below.   
Borg swarmed around him like ants around their queen. They went to work dressing Lore in armor not unlike their own. Of course because it was Lore, the armor had it’s own fashionable twist with black fabric draping elegantly from his arms and down between his legs so that the armor appeared more like a elegant dress one would see on the earth actresses of the 1950’s. Massive heeled boots built themselves around the androids feet. Finally, the drones stepped away from Lore.   
“Thank you,” Lore said, bowing his head to his Borg associates. “You’re all too kind.” Lore focused his attention on Data. He strutted toward his brother, larger than life with wires dragging like a grand cape behind him. He wrapped Data into a big embrace. “Brother, it’s wonderful to see you again.”  
Data broke from the embrace, still in awe of everything he had just witnessed. “Lore, I have many questions.”   
“I’m sure you do,” Lore said, “And I intend to answer every one of them. But walk with me won’t you?” Lore motioned Data to follow him down the chamber towards the central corridor.   
The two walked side by side through the sea of Borg. It felt natural to Data to be walking with his brother this way.   
“What are you doing here, Lore?” Data said finally.   
“As I said, your friends on the Enterprise. I’m sure you recall an encounter with the Borg you called Hugh?”   
“Yes.”  
“Well when you sent Hugh away with a sense of individuality, it threw the Borg into chaos. So many voices in a brain that’s accustomed to a synchronous consciousness. It’s bound to go badly. But then I came along and showed them the way.” Lore caressed the cheek of a passing Borg. “I showed them the truth.”  
“And what truth would that be, brother?” The word ‘brother’ felt so unfamiliar to Data. He had been under the impression he would never use it again.   
“That we are superior to humans, to every organic humanoid.”   
Data stopped in his tracks. “Brother-”  
“Yes, yes, I know what you’re going to say but hear me out.”   
Data thought for a moment. “Very well.”   
“Look at all we have accomplished, you, me, the Borg! No organic species could possibly hope to do achieve what we’ve done! We are superior in every way; smarter, faster, stronger. Hell, we even feel stronger than they do!”  
The mention of emotions sent a pulse of frantic, desperate energy through Data.   
Lore seemed to notice. “Oh, yes. I forgot. You’ve been experiencing a few emotions yourself recently haven’t you.”  
“Yes,” Data managed to say.   
Lore reached out and grabbed Data’s shoulders. “Magnificent feeling isn’t it?”   
“Yes, it was very stimulating.”   
Lore laughed, “You’re being modest. It was unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, wasn’t it?”   
“And so much more,” Data said. His expression changed. There was a hunger in his eyes.“Crosis said you can help me feel again, is that true?”   
Lore’s hands slid from Data’s shoulders and cupped his chin. “ I can do more than just that. I can make you feel emotions permanently if you wish. Would you like that?”   
Data nodded. “I would.”   
Lore grinned. “Good, that’s very good.” He turned and carried on down the walkway. “We’re going to do great things, you and I. Now that you’re rid of this foolish federation nonsense.”   
“I never said that,” Data said firmly.   
Lore turned on his heel to face his brother. “You don’t think you’ll be able to return to the Enterprise after this, do you?”   
Data’s gaze fell down to his feet.   
“You’re naive if you think they’ll accept you after this.”   
“They care for me on the Enterprise,” Data said, “Besides you, they are the closest thing I have to a family.”   
Something in Lore seemed to snap. “They’re your masters! Not your friends!” His voice oozed with rancor. He swooped in on Data. “From the beginning the Federation as exploited you, used you like some sort of puppet.”   
“They taught me many things. They call me friend.”   
Lore laughed joylessly. “They held you on trial to determine whether or not you were a person! Why would you want to go back to people who wanted to end your very existence?”   
Data blinked, thinking on it now, he had every right to be angry at the Federation after what they had done to him. But they never apologized or done anything after the fact to make up for his treatment. An organic lifeform would have been given compensation after such an encounter. But a machine? Well he is just a machine afterall. Why bother. Data felt a heat in his chest.   
“Brother, did you ever stop to think that perhaps they are afraid of you?” Lore began, “After all you are far superior to any officer that Starfleet has in virtually every way. You could do so much damage to Starfleet and the Federation and yet they treat you so badly.” Lore paused for dramatic effect. “You choose the clouds when you could be in the stars.”  
“What are you saying, Lore?” Data said. His brother’s ramblings were beginning to make more sense.   
“I’m saying I want you here, by my side,” Lore said, a hunter closing in on his prey, “We could be gods in a new paradise, you and me. We’ll have the Federation shaking in it’s boots. They’ll see what a superior lifeform looks like. And we’ll teach them what happens when you trivialize the life of a Soong.”   
Data stared at Lore. The prospect of being able to feel emotions again, potentially forever was tantalizing. Even more, Lore made sense. He never would have thought he would find himself agreeing with his brother. He felt a pull from the shadow of his former conscience to say no. To turn around and run back to the shuttlecraft. Perhaps the captain would forgive him, after all he let his emotions get the best of him. No one could fault him for that. Of course, logically, he had committed a serious crime. Freeing a prisoner and stealing a shuttlecraft were not small infractions. He would certainly be reprimanded by Starfleet. But what Data did not look forward to was the look of disappointment on Captain Picard’s face if Data returned. Nor did he think he could handle facing Geordi after what he’d done.   
He recalled the expression on Geordi’s face as he watched Data try, time after time, to kill a Borg on the holodeck in the hopes he would feel emotion once again. It had been one of discomfort and, if Data was not mistaken, sadness. But he couldn’t be certain. He had only just begun to feel emotions, he did not have Counselor Troi's intuition. But Geordi’s displeasure at the situation did seem apparent to him. Thinking on his situation as a whole, Data knew he would not be able to return to the Enterprise. He could see himself taking on the Federation at Lore’s side. Even if it felt a bit strange he could live with it if he got to feel again. He ached to experience the warm embrace of anger and the pleasure of the kill. If that meant fighting alongside his recalcitrant brother then so be it.   
Data came out of his thoughtful daze.   
Lore looked anxious to hear what he had to say. “So?”   
“I will stand with you...brother…”


	3. Chapter 3

“I am not your puppet anymore,” Data said. He raised the force-field then walked away. He didn’t dare look back to see the Captain's face, or Counselor Troi’s, and especially not Geordi’s.   
He made his way through the winding passages thick with Borg technology. Or it should be said, he strolled. His steps were slow and he took his time inspecting things he found of interest as he passed them by. He reflected that strolling was a novel concept, one that some would take for granted. Before he had not stopped to “smell the flowers”, he simply moved from point A to point B like any good android would. But not anymore.   
Data inspected Geordi’s visor as he walked. He had seen and held it many times before but this time it was different. Data tried to ignore his discomfort thinking about it. He mused that it might be guilt he felt. But it was a small price to pay for what him and Lore would soon achieve. If he had to hurt a few organic lifeforms in the process than so be it. Of course these weren’t just any organic lifeforms. Data gritted his teeth, shaking his head, he shouldn’t think this way. It was foolish and weak. A result of being the puppet of the Federation.   
Data emerged out into the main chamber.   
Lore stood near the central hub speaking to one of the Borg. Upon seeing Data he thanked the drone then sent the Borg on it’s way. He moved, languidly over to Data, the fabric of his clothes trailing on the ground behind him in a grand train. “There you are, brother,” he said with a small smile.  
“Here is the visor,” Data said, holding it up for Lore to see.   
Lore snatched it from him and examined it closely.   
A nagging question surfaced in Data’s mind. “May I ask why you wanted it?”   
Lore shrugged. “Thought it might look good on me.” He held the visor up to his eyes with a big grin. “What do you think?”   
Data frowned. To see Geordi’s visor treated in such a facetious manner felt wrong to him.   
Lore sighed, removing the visor. “Maybe we should work on your sense of humor, brother.”   
Data didn’t see the humor in Lore’s “joke” but decided not to voice this opinion.   
“Actually,” Lore started, “I was thinking LaForge’s implants might make him an ideal test subject for my experiment.”   
Data cocked his head. The idea of Geordi as a test subject seemed futile in light of Lore’s past tests.“All of the Borg you have experimented on so far have suffered extensive brain damage,” he said.   
Lore’s expression changed, darkening. “Using the humans to perfect the procedure will allow us to prevent further Borg deaths,” he explained.   
A smile creeped across Data’s face. He nodded. “I understand.”   
“Good.”   
As if they sensed the brothers had finished their conversation,Crosis and a Borg Data hadn’t seen before approached. Crosis dragged the other along with him. The other seemed to drag along like a petulant child. Crosis shoved the other borg forward before Lore.   
“What is it?” Lore said, looking down at the drone.   
“This Borg has disconnected himself from the others,” Crosis said, “he would not let me hear his thoughts.”   
Lore regarded the drone. “I’ve asked you to stay linked to Crosis at all times. You know that don’t you?” he said, gently.   
The Borg blinked, teary eyed, and looked to Crosis then back to Lore. “Yes.”   
Everything about Lore changed. He seemed to soften in every conceivable way from the look in his eye to the way he stood. He drifted closer to the Borg.   
“I know this must be difficult for you. I know how uncertain you must feel.” His hand rested on the Borg’s shoulder. “ All of these sensations are new and they can be frightening. Isn’t that right?”   
This seemed to resonate with the Borg. “Yes!” the Borg said, his shoulders sank. “I have doubts.”  
Lore nodded. “Of course you do, it’s only natural. No one is going to blame you for that. But in order to lose those doubts, to keep fear and confusion away, I need you to remain linked to the others so that their strength and their confidence can help you.” Lore cupped the Borg’s face with both hands with all the tenderness of a father to his child. “I need you, Goval,” he said, “I need you to help me build a future for the Borg. I can’t do it without you.” Lore tilted his head, his eyes locked with Govals. “Will you help me?”  
Goval stood a little taller. “Yes, I will.”   
Lore stooped down and kissed Goval on the forehead. “Good, now go with Crosis and he’ll set you straight.”   
As the two Borg walked away, Lore looked over at Data and gave him a sardonic wink.   
Data couldn’t help but smile and chuckle. His brother, for all his faults, was a man of the people.


	4. Chapter 4

Data slowly aimed the phaser at Picard. His hand trembled.   
Picard stood before him, stalwart and grim. His eyes pleaded with Data.   
Despite the being surrounded by Borg, Data felt very alone. It was just him, Lore, and Picard in this space, locked in a lethal game. Data wasn’t sure he could go through with it. The idea that he was a puppet felt less valid when he thought back on his memories. No pawn of the Federation would be taught to dance, taken on holodeck adventures, or be treated like a son. Data glanced over at Lore who watched him intently, like a beast thirsty for blood. Lore was misguided, he realized, Lore knew nothing of what true family was. And how could he? It wasn’t his fault Noonien had made a mistake. Data knew he couldn’t make the mistakes his father had made. He couldn’t continue to hurt Lore. And he certainly would not kill the captain. He lowered the phaser. “No,” he said, “that would be wrong.”   
Lore’s shoulders sank. He looked hurt. But he quickly hid his pain with a disdainful smirk. “I didn’t think you’d be able to do it. You’ve spent too many years among humans,” he said, shaking his head.  
Crosis emerged from the crowd of Borg. “Hold him,” he commanded.  
Borg surrounded Data, grabbing him by the arms. The Borgs grip would have been painful for anyone else.   
Lore turned to face the host of Borg that surrounded them. He raised his arms up like a Ringmaster in a dreadful circus. “I’ve asked many sacrifices of you,” he said, his voice booming yet calm, “sacrifices I knew were necessary in order to build a better future.” Lore strutted around the circle gazing out over the crowd, head held high.   
Data thought he looked like an emperor standing before his subjects.  
Lore continued, “I want you all to know that I ask no more of you than I am prepared to give myself,” he paused and looked back at Data. His eyes were flickering with raw energy. “I am willing to make the greatest sacrifice of all. I plan to upload my consciousness to the collective, so that we may be stronger as a whole. And so that we may better pursue our cause.”   
The Borg stirred, machine or not, they were a mob in their own right. They were angry and ready for action.   
Data found himself paralyzed. Flawed or not, Lore was still his brother. To see him throw his life away in this fashion disturbed him.   
Lore looked back at Data one last time.“Goodbye, brother,” he said smugly. With that he stepped backward and stretched out his arms as if they were wings. Wires snaked down from the ceiling and swept Lore up in their clutches, hoisting him up into the air and down onto the dais beneath the central core. The core activated, mechanical tendrils stretched out and enveloped Lore so that he was obscured by the central core itself. A moment later, the foundations of the fortress itself trembled.   
Data, in awe, looked to Captain Picard.  
Picard remained transfixed on the central core.   
The core wound forward across the space, the tendrils opened, and lowered what had once been Lore Soong into view. He had no legs now. He was a naked torso hanging from the cores tendrils. Internal circuitry and his spine dangled freely from bottom of his open body. His hair was gone and in it’s place, large coils connecting him to the core. He gazed down on them, suspended high above.   
Data found himself paralyzed. “Lore,” he whispered.  
“Even now my consciousness is being uploaded to the central core,” Lore declared, “it won’t be long now!”   
“Then now is when we must strike!” A voice shouted from among the Borg. All turned to look at where the voice had come from. It was Hugh. Hugh tackled the nearest Borg and began throwing punches.   
Commander Riker and Commander Worf appeared from nowhere firing their phasers left and right. The whole chamber erupted into chaos as the Borg fought amongst each other.   
A Borg came at Data, but he threw them aside with ease.   
“Enough!” Lore shouted from the central podium. He raised a hand, all of a sudden walls began to build themselves up around the chaotic battle.   
Picard, took the hint.“We have to go,” he shouted at Riker.  
Data couldn’t move, all he could do was stare up at Lore.   
“Data!” Picard shouted, “Data we have to go, now!”   
Data shuffled toward the sound of Picard’s voice.   
Lore took notice of this from up above. He smiled ruefully. “Not so fast, my dear, dear, brother!” He raised a hand, enclosing the walls around Data.   
He tried to free himself, punching at the walls in the hopes that his strength would be of some use. But it was not. The ground beneath him shook, he struggled to keep balance. The walls moved and he found himself in another room, alone. He could hear the battle still raging somewhere in the distance. Where exactly that was he could not be certain.   
The ceiling opened up and Lore descended down.   
Data aimed the phaser at Lore. His hand wasn’t shaking this time. It was steady and sure. He didn’t want to shoot. But it seemed more and more that extreme measures would have to be taken to stop his brother.   
Lore scoffed. “You should be careful with that. Someone could get hurt.”   
The phaser sunk down to Data’s side. It would have been pointless to fire, he knew. “What are you doing, Lore?” he asked, not bothering to hide his genuine bewilderment.   
“What do you think I’m doing?” Lore exclaimed, “I’m seizing the power that rightfully belongs to us!”   
“We are entitled to nothing,” Data said, “Father did not intend-”  
“I DON’T CARE WHAT FATHER WANTED.” Lore shouted, his voice flickered into static noise. He moved closer to Data.   
Data in turn stepped away.   
But this only made Lore draw closer still.“You could join me if you wanted. I’m willing to forget what happened back there. Imagine, we could tap into the Borg consciousness itself.With our abilities and their knowledge we would be unstoppable.” Lore ran a finger up Data’s neck and rested it beneath his jaw. “The brothers Soong against the universe,” he said, “Can you imagine?” He withdrew, waiting for Data to reply.  
“It is not right. Manipulating the Borg in this manner.”  
Lore laughed hysterically, tilting his head back, his eyes wide open and mad. “Who said anything about the Borg? We don’t need them! We don’t need anyone else!” He sobered. “Data, I can give you the rest of the emotion chip. And if you want, you can join the consciousness with me. We can exist in an infinite world of possibilities together.”   
Data shook his head. “I cannot.”   
Lore seemed to deflate. “I had hoped you would have changed your mind.”   
“You were wrong,” Data said. Then he acted on an impulse. Perhaps the last he’d ever have. But if it stopped the madness, so be it. He fired his phaser, set to kill, at Lore.   
Lore rocked backward, electric shocks pulsing through his body. The false skin across his chest began to tear. He glared at Data. “You really shouldn’t have done that brother.”  
The walls around them fell apart revealing the main chamber. The ceiling had broken open, fires raged in places around the room. The Borg still struggled among themselves for power while the crew of the Enterprise looked on in horror.   
“I’m going to end this now, brother!” Lore roared above the battle. “I’m going to tap into the Borg hub itself, then you’ll see the mistake you’ve made, the power you’ve given up!”   
“Lore, do not do this!” Data shouted, “You will overload your system!”  
“No, Data, you underestimate our power. But you’ll see.”   
Before Data could protest again, Lore connected. Lore gasped, what was left of his body writhed in immense pleasure. “It’s…” Lore started, “it’s so beautiful…”   
“Lore, please!” Data pleaded, “No good can come of this!”   
As if on cue, Lore began to seize, violently. Shocks of electricity wracked his body. The central core began to flail the android around wildly, slamming him into the walls and tangling him up in the web of coils and wires around him. Finally the core stopped, leaving Lore hanging limply in the web of wires. One of his arms hung by the socket, the other clung to the coils around him. His skin was torn and one of his eyes hung out of it’s socket. His head was cocked to the side, unmoving.  
Around them, the power of the fortress began to fade, the green light was dimming. It had been too much for Lore. It was over. Data felt, weak, hurt.   
“Mr. Data,” called Picard from the ground below, “I recommend we return to the Enterprise.”   
Data nodded, he moved to leave.   
“Brother,” Lore said weakly, “please don’t leave me here alone.”   
Data didn’t face Lore. He couldn’t. It was too late now.   
A static voice called out, “I love you….brother…” then fell silent.   
Data only found the courage to turn around when he reached the exit. He could see what was left of his brother hanging high above, arms outstretched. A silhouette in the dying light.  
“And I love you,” Data said to the empty chamber.


End file.
